Snowstorm inbound for Metro Vancouver as winter weather rages across Canada

VANCOUVER – Environment Canada says a snowstorm is expected to hit Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria and beyond, bringing up to 20 centimetres of accumulation and possible freezing rain to southern British Columbia.

The weather agency has issued a snowfall warning in the region with a forecast of “widespread snow” starting tonight and into Wednesday.

Snowfall, winter storm and other weather warnings and advisories cover much of B.C., with forecasts of snow accumulation between 10 centimetres in coastal areas to 25 centimetres in the Elk Valley stretching into Alberta.

Northern Alberta, much of Saskatchewan, western Manitoba and parts of the Northwest Territories also remain under an extreme cold warning with wind chill possibly reaching -50.

Further east, southern Ontario is dealing with a handful of snow squall warnings, watches and advisories, and the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec is under a winter storm warning where people are asked to postpone all non-essential travel.

In Atlantic Canada, most of New Brunswick is under a mix of snowfall, winter storm and freezing rain forecasts, and Nova Scotia as well as Newfoundland and Labrador face a patchwork of rainfall, winter storm and wind notifications with gusts up to 140 kilometres an hour possible in some areas.

Feature image: A city worker shovels snow at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, B.C., Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Areas in and surrounding Vancouver received the first snow of the season. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns